


The True Freshman

by orphan_account



Series: Redshirt Year [1]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Background Matt/Allura, Background Relationships, Bisexual Lance (Voltron), College, Cuban Lance (Voltron), Drunken Kissing, Female Pronouns for Pidge | Katie Holt, First Meetings, Flirting, Fluff, Football Player Shiro, Gay Shiro (Voltron), Getting Together, Getting to Know Each Other, Keith and Shiro are Adoptive Siblings, Lance (Voltron) is a Dork, Love at First Sight, M/M, Making Out, Mutual Pining, Party, Pining Lance (Voltron), Pining Shiro (Voltron), Shiro (Voltron) is a Mess, Trans Female Pidge | Katie Holt, Transphobia, Underage Drinking, What's a Slow Burn, lance is a mess but better at hiding it, shiro is a dork, well it's eventually love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-06
Updated: 2018-02-06
Packaged: 2019-03-14 14:11:00
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,881
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13591734
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: Shiro's sophomore year at Garrison Tech was already off to an unexpected start. Due to an injury, he was forced to take a medical redshirt year, making it his second year of ineligibility to play the sport he loved; his plans were ruined before the first day of classes even began.His year gets even more interesting after his brother Keith ropes him into taking him to the first party of the year, where he meets another freshman named Lance.





	The True Freshman

**Author's Note:**

> If you're not used to US college athletic policies:
> 
> Redshirt (noun, verb, and adjective): when a college athlete attends classes, practices with the team, and suits up for games but is not eligible to play in order to extend their eligibility into their fifth year of college (they only have four years of eligibility); often done if the athlete wouldn't get much play time during their first year or if they wish to train during the first year while also balancing their studies in order to perform at their best their second year
> 
> Medical redshirt: when a player loses the majority of a year of eligibility due to injury, they may petition to take a medical redshirt year, even if they had previously redshirted
> 
> Redshirt freshman: a player who is in their first year of eligibility but their second year of school due to having redshirted the previous year
> 
> True freshman: a student in both their first year academically as well as athletically

“…Finally, let’s take a look at Garrison Tech—now they’ve got a very unique story, don’t they? Takashi Shirogane, number 10, will unfortunately not be making his college football debut as their starting wide receiver. He enrolled at GT and redshirted his freshman year with the intent to play this fall, but a terrible accident in the spring forced him to medical redshirt for the season. He took a leave of absence from classes and practice, as well, forced to focus on recovering rather than school or football. But during the summer session Coach Smythe was happy to report that, despite the loss of his limb, Shirogane has chosen to remain at the university as well as on the team.

“He’s made numerous appearances since his final surgery, and has become an inspiration for amputee athletes all over the country! From what we’ve seen on tapes, too, he doesn’t seem to be slowing down! I for one can’t wait for next year when he’ll surely be in top form. Unfortunately for GT, the preseason rankings don’t even have them in the top 25 without their star recruit to back them up, and their schedule isn’t very challenging, either. Their tournament prospects are slim, it seems, so this year might be a regrouping and recruiting-oriented season for them.”

Sighing, a young man shut off his TV with a click of the remote.

“Shiro!” someone whined beside him. “I was watching that!”

Shiro rolled his eyes at his younger brother, Keith, who’d invaded his apartment hours before, claiming that his randomly assigned roommate was too much of a pain to deal with. He could sympathize with him, as his own freshman year roommate had been quite the character. Matt’s personality could be described as overbearing, though with time Shiro grew more used to his brashness, and they eventually came to be good friends.

Of course, with football practice and class, as well as Matt’s obligations, they hardly spent a lot of time together. Additionally, their schedules were quite incompatible, as Shiro tended to get to bed before midnight to wake for 5am practice during the week while Matt would slink into the room any time between 2 and 4 in the morning after long study sessions. They’d parted amiably, remaining friends but choosing not to room together after their first year.

“I don’t want to hear the same old story,” Shiro replied finally.

Keith pouted, crossing his arms. “They were already done talking about you! They were about to talk about other teams. Like I care about GT football, anyway.”

“Gee, thanks,” he snorted. He glanced at his phone. “Shouldn’t you head back to your room? Your dorm’s got orientation, doesn’t it?”

He shrugged. “I don’t care.”

“Won’t your RA care?”

“My roommate said most of the other freshmen snuck out already to drink. There’s a huge party over on Jefferson. Do you know about it?”

He raised a brow. “Yeah, that’s probably the yard.”

“What’s that?”

“It’s like a corner of houses that all share a big backyard. A few of my teammates live in two of the houses, and I think some baseball guys and basketball girls live in the others. Don’t tell me you want to go.”

“Oh, maybe not. Let me ask him if it’s any fun.”

“He’s already there? It’s so early! How’d he even hear about it? The only people here this weekend are either freshmen or athletes!”

“And yet you didn’t even clue me in to the fun,” he frowned. “Rude. Anyway, he has a cousin here, he said. She’s your year. She told him about it ‘cause she’s a supportive family member unlike someone.”

Shiro chose to ignore the quip. “Maybe I know her. Do you know her name?”

“Nope.” He tapped at his phone, then laughed. “Dude, check out his snap story.” He tilted his phone toward Shiro so he could watch a short video of one of his friends—Jake, from the baseball team—tossing an empty keg to the raucous cheers of his peers.

“I thought you didn’t like him. And yet you’re snapchat friends?”

“He’s annoying as hell and super loud, but he’s kinda funny, I guess. He also challenged me to a GPA-off, which is so unfair since my major is biochem and he’s, like, education or theater.”

“We have those majors?”

“Apparently.”

“Huh, well, good for him. He’s pursuing what he’s passionate about, I’m sure. Also, what do you mean ‘or’? Those are two different things!”

“I’ll admit I wasn’t paying attention to him that closely. He was changing.”

“Gay.”

“Runs in the family,” he smirked.

Rolling his eyes, Shiro rose from the couch. “Fine, let’s go to this party. Don’t go crazy with the alcohol, though. My teammates aren’t that horrible, but… you never know.”

Keith followed after him, picking up his jacket from a hook and throwing it over his shoulder. “Yeah, yeah, whatever. I’m not a kid.”

“No, you’re worse. You’re…” he shuddered. “ _A freshman_.”

 

* * *

 

Within an hour, Shiro had completely lost track of Keith. He only knew thanks to his Snaps that he was still at the party, though every time he tried to track him down he’d check the app to see that Keith had moved.

He’d exchanged greetings with his teammates on seeing them, even took two shots to appease them. However, he was driving, so he decided not to drink further—a shame, since there was a beer pong table set up and his go-to partner was begging him to help defend their title.

Though he was in a familiar home, he was surprised at just how many people he didn’t recognize. Besides the athletes, the place was filling quickly with freshmen; he couldn’t help but startle at just how tiny they looked, even though they should only be a year or so younger than him. Despite the early hour, several were stumbling about, looking confused and on the verge of sickness.

After helping a handsy, young girl who had thrown up in the kitchen find her roommate so they could head home, Shiro felt someone tap his shoulder. He turned then smiled at his friend.

“Hey, Matt! Surprised to see you here!” they clapped hands and met in the middle, patting each other on the back. “I didn’t think you’d be back till Sunday.”

“My little sister is a freshman, actually, so I was allowed to move in.”

“Oh, that’s cool! My brother is here, too.”

“Keith, wasn’t it?”

“That’s right. What dorm is she in?”

“O’shag.”

“The men’s dorm?”

He frowned. “Yeah. The school is being dickish about her despite the fact that her name has been legally changed and that our parents have submitted doctor’s notes.”

“That’s bullshit. She could’ve at least been in a co-ed dorm, couldn’t she?”

“Even then, she’d be required to have a male roommate. But, I met her roommate, and he was super chill about everything, so that’s good. Still, the two of them are going to try and move into a co-ed dorm as soon as they could.”

“Man, that’s shitty still. How’s she holding up?”

He gestured behind Shiro toward a girl coming down from a keg stand, the women’s basketball team cheering around her. “She’s fine. Tougher than me, I swear.”

“At least you can keep track of your sibling,” he sighed. “Keith’s not even a partier and yet he’s posted multiple pictures of him taking shots and making friends. I’d be proud if I wasn’t so worried.”

“Aw, come on, let him live a little! We weren’t so different last year, getting drunk and acting reckless.”

“We’re not so different now,” he laughed. “Don’t think I wouldn’t be drinking if I hadn’t driven.”

“Never doubted it for a second. Oh! Is that Allura?” he grabbed Shiro’s bicep, shaking it rapidly. “To think she’d come to a party as trashy as this!”

Allura did tend to run in classier circles, but she wasn’t one to turn down a big party or free liquor. Shiro waved her over and she trotted over to them, red solo cup in hand.

“Good evening, boys!” she smiled, giving them each a half hug, careful not to spill her full drink. “How were your summers?”

“I was here,” Shiro sighed. “Taking orgo and training.”

“The arm’s doing alright, then?” she asked, hand reaching for his prosthetic. He brought it between them, turning it over and showing it off. Matt poked at the palm, gasping in delight when the fingers clenched easily. After the accident, Shiro had gone home for his subsequent therapies and surgeries. He’d thankfully been able to finish up the last few weeks of classes online and passed them despite all that had happened. But, no amount of online posting could replace the months he’d lost of living like a regular GT student. He hadn’t been able to see his friends till he’d come back for the summer session, and even then it was only his teammates; it’d been months since he’d seen Matt and Allura, and he’d almost forgotten that they had yet to see his prosthetic beyond just the photos he’d posted.

“That’s a sick model, man!” Matt cheered. “They’re letting you play with it, I hope?”

“Not this year—I still have to get used to playing with it. Next year, though, I’ll finally be on the field.”

“I’ll be sure to get tickets,” Allura hummed. “And to learn how football works,” she laughed.

He chuckled. “Niece of the coach and she doesn’t even know football.”

“It’s just so dull! I prefer my sports quicker paced.”

“How come you’re back so early, Allura?” Matt asked.

“Well, as class president I was allowed to move in early. I didn’t have to, but my cousin’s a freshman so I thought I’d help him move in.”

“Woah, we all have family here, now! That’s awesome!” Matt said. “Ooh, let’s make them be friends. Maybe get Katie a little girlfriend!”

She sipped her drink, amusement lighting her eyes. “I’m afraid Lance is a boy, so no luck for her there.”

“Hey, maybe Keith could use a boyfriend,” Shiro said. “Is Lance into guys?”

“Oh, he’s right over there; you can ask him yourself,” she winked slyly. Waving, she yelled toward the living room. “Lance!”

A tall, lanky man with brown hair turned at the sound of his name. He beamed on seeing his cousin, then politely excused himself from the group of women he’d been chatting with. He kissed the back of one woman’s hand, smiling when she giggled, then jogged over to Allura.

Shiro openly gaped at the man—what was with the genes in Allura’s family? he wondered. The man had legs for days, accented by tight, tight, _tight_ jeans. He looked fit, though a bit on the skinny side, and a deep blue v-neck revealed just enough tanned skin to be tantalizing. His face was open and earnest, with dazzling blue eyes that reminded Shiro of his favorite memories, of playing the sport he loved beneath a sunny sky, of sandy beaches where his worries drifted away into the gentle waves. Shiro never claimed to have a “type”, but this man was checking each box on the list that he hadn’t known he’d had. 

“Hey, Lura!” he grinned, throwing an arm around her shoulders—even his _voice_ was heavenly! “What’s up?” his eyes darted between the three of them, and he shot both Shiro and Matt a charming smile. Shiro fought the urge to groan at how unfairly pretty he was.

“Lance, these are my friends, Matt,” she gestured toward Matt, who reached out his hand to shake. “And Shiro.”

He shook both their hands firmly, lingering slightly with Shiro. He muttered something to Allura in Spanish, and she laughed. Matt also smiled in amusement—he’d taken an intro class in an effort to impress Allura, and Shiro cursed his past self for not taking a page from Matt’s book of thirst.

“You know Spanish?” Lance asked, blushing.

“A little. I… uh, started taking it last semester,” he smiled shyly toward Allura. “Shiro doesn’t, though.”

“And to answer your question, Lance, no he’s not. So have at it.” Matt cackled at her response.

Lance sighed. “Oh, okay. So, um… how do you guys know Allura?”

“I met her through Shiro, actually,” Matt explained. “He and I were roommates.”

“Oh my god they were roommates…” Lance whispered to Allura nudging her. _Fluent in Spanish_ and _memes?_ _He’s perfect_ , Shiro thought.

“I only really spent time struggling with my fellow engineers, we were just so busy, and Shiro only ran around with the other football players. He was hanging around the student center after practice one day when Allura went right up to him and roped him into helping her run her campaign for freshman class president.”

Lance laughed. Shiro hadn’t even heard what Matt might’ve said to amuse him, though he felt jealous that it wasn’t him who’d elicited the response from Lance. “That’s so like her!” He looked at Shiro and smiled softly. “Couldn’t turn down a pretty face, huh?”

“Um… What?”

Matt chuckled. “Oh, Shiro certainly has a weakness for pretty people…”

Allura joined in on the laughter. “Shiro, tell Lance the story.”

“The what?”

“He alright?” Lance stepped toward him. “He doesn’t look drunk…”

Allura pulled Lance back, much to Shiro’s displeasure. “Oh, don’t worry about him. He does this sometimes.”

“Does what? He seems dead to the world!”

“You know,” Allura continued. “You two should come to some of Lance’s performances this year! He’s a dance and education double major, but he’s also always been involved in musical theater! He’s quite talented.”

“Oh that’s so cool!” Matt smiled. “My sister, Katie, she did lots of tech stuff for our drama program in high school. Maybe you can convince her to take that up again—she always did like it.”

“Well, there’s no guarantee I’ll even get any parts, you know,” he rubbed the back of his neck. “But I’m sure she’d be great.”

“He’s just being humble,” Allura insisted. “He was a star in all of his school’s major productions his junior and senior year!”

“Are you gay?” Shiro suddenly blurted out. He flushed while Allura and Matt—the traitors—only snorted.

“What?” Lance frowned, brows scrunching together in discomfort. “That’s kinda out of the blue! Just because I’m into theater?”

“What? No! You’re pretty!” Shiro’s words tumbled out of his mouth before his mind could stop them. “Shit—I mean…”

It was Lance’s turn to blush. “Oh, that’s… nice of you to say.”

“Sorry, I’m… my head’s kinda…”

“Hey, don’t worry about it!” he insisted. Behind him, Allura tugged at Matt’s arm, ushering him away from the train wreck that was Shiro. She shot Shiro a wink before darting away.

“Sorry, I’m a mess,” he stuck out his hand. “I couldn’t even talk after seeing you, and when I did, I stuck my foot in my mouth! I’m Shiro. I’m, um… well, I was _gonna_ say I’m not usually this inept at speaking, but that would be a lie.”

Lance shook his hand, laughing softly. “Well, nice to meet you—again—Shiro. I’m Lance.” His hand fell to his side. “And I’m not gay.”

Shiro deflated. “Oh, I’m—“

“I’m bi,” he winked.

Shiro smiled. “Do you want to go outside and talk for a bit? It’s kinda loud in here.”

“You sure the cat’s let go of your tongue?” he teased.

“I’m sure. I’ve recovered from the shock of seeing an angel at a football party.”

Lance glanced down, suddenly bashful. “I’m still recovering from meeting a literal Adonis at the same football party.”

Shiro stepped toward the backdoor, opening it for Lance to pass through. They had to pass the crowded deck and a few scattered groups of friends, but eventually they settled against a fence. Lance took a large gulp from his drink.

“So…” he began. “You’re on the football team?”

“Yeah.”

“That’s cool! I don’t know much about football—more of a fútbol guy, you know? But, my uncle’s into it.”

“Coran, right? The head coach? I’d say he’s more than ‘into it’,” he chuckled. In the football world, Shiro was something of a local celebrity. He’d been a top recruit his freshman year, and even though he’d redshirted, the whole nation had been watching and waiting for him to make his debut. With the accident, all that additional news coverage, it was pretty rare for him to meet someone who didn’t know who he was.

He grimaced. “Yeah, I should probably brush up on the rules, huh?”

“It’s alright if you don’t,” he assured. “Allura’s one of my closest friends and she doesn’t even know a thing about it.”

“To be fair, she’s probably too busy with her plan to become the queen of the world—I’m sure she’ll mention you in one of her many speeches, though.”

Shiro chuckled. “Are you two close?”

Nodding, he sipped his drink. “Oh, definitely! Her mom, Coran, and my dad are all siblings. My family and hers used to live out near each other, so we spent a lot of time together as kids. But, then they moved to London, and my family moved to Cuba, which is where my mom’s from. We both eventually came back to the states for high school, though we went to rival high schools, actually. Still, we fell right back into old habits—she’s one of my best friends.”

“That’s great. Did you pick GT for any particular reason?”

“Well, we get a discount thanks to Coran. Neither of us are very STEM-oriented, so a tech school may seem like a weird fit. But, they have a great polisci program for her, and their education program is pretty highly ranked. I also wanted a school in a big city that was close enough to family. It was a good choice for both of us. How about you?”

“Oh, I came here to play football,” he said. “Haven’t gotten to do that quite yet, though.”

“I’m sorry.”

“It’s fine. I’m still practicing, just a little injured.”

“Oh! What happened?”

He lifted his arm, and Lance gasped. “Accident last year.”

“Shit, man! Are you okay? Wait, sorry, that’s probably a stupid question, I mean, you’re missing an arm!”

He chuckled. “I’m fine, honestly. It hurt like a bitch, still does sometimes, I guess.”

“I’m sorry it hurts still. But hey, it looks super cool at least!”

He laughed. “Yeah?”

“Totally! It’s super hot. Your whole aesthetic is! I can’t tell if I wanna be you or makeout with you.”

“I can say which option I’d prefer.”

Lance shook his head, turning to the side. “Man, I can’t believe you’re single! I bet if Allura wasn’t into that Matt guy you’d have been snatched up!” Startling, Lance slapped his hand over his mouth.

“Wait, she’s actually into him?”

“Shit! I was _not_ supposed to say anything about that! Damn this jungle juice!”

“That’s great news, though! Matt’s been head-over-heels for her since they met! I’m amazed she didn’t notice!”

“She’s… she just needs someone with confidence, you know? She doesn’t like leaving things up to chance. He should totally ask her out—assuming he intends to wine and dine her properly, and that he’s not just messing around, of course!”

“Oh, trust me, he’d buy her a ring by tomorrow if she wanted.”

“Good, I’m glad,” he smiled up at Shiro. “So, Matt mentioned that Allura’s pretty face conned you into serving on her election committee?”

“Did he?”

“You were a bit distracted when we were talking,” he hummed, amused.

“Right, well… it wasn’t how you think—not that Allura’s not gorgeous, of course! But, I mean… I’m not really interested in women. But when I saw her, marching up to me all prim and proper, my teammates all around me, elbowing and teasing me, I couldn’t say no. She scared the shit out of me, honestly!” 

Lance cackled, slapping Shiro’s shoulder. “Hey, don’t worry about it. You’re not the first gay guy she’s somehow managed to charm. She’s pretty intimidating, I’ll give you that.”

“I’m glad she did come up to me. She’s become a good friend. Matt was also plenty happy that I introduced them,” he chuckled.

Lance hummed. “So, are all football parties like this?”

He shrugged. “More or less. Though, usually the cops would’ve shown up at least once by now. I guess it is still pretty early.”

“You’re right—the night’s young. Well, I for one am pretty happy with my first college party. I’ve met so many cool people! Gotten so many numbers, too!”

“Oh?” he frowned; the expression deepened on realizing that he had no right to be upset.

“Sure! I met a few girls who invited me to go out with them tomorrow. One of them knows a club in town that’d let us in for only, like, $10,” his grin was mischievous. “They seemed really nice, too.”

“Oh, god, they’re talking about Feve—the shittiest club around. You wouldn’t want to be caught dead there!”

“I’m sure it’s fun,” he insisted. “Don’t you have any good Feve memories?”

He shook his head. “From what little I can remember, there’s only shame. The drinks may be cheap but the music is shitty. It’s all underclassmen making out and throwing up.”

“Aren’t you just a sophomore?” he laughed.

“Exactly, I’m experienced.”

Lance leaned closer. “Is that so? Care to share some of that experience sometime?”

This kid was smooth; Shiro swallowed. “I’d be willing to help you out—if you promise me one thing.”

“What is it?”

“Whatever you do, don’t go to Feve.”

He laughed, pushing away from the fence. “Oh, but then what will I do tomorrow if I’m not at Feve with my new friends?”

“Don’t the freshmen have some party on the quad or something?”

“A chaperoned, alcohol-free party! That’s lame.”

“All the football players usually sneak in—they’re usually drunk as hell.”

“Oh? Will you be going?”

“I don’t know…” he didn’t want to say he was too recognizable for it, thinking it too vain to say.

“Well, guess my only option is Feve, then.”

“Wait…”

“Hm?”

“You… we could hang out, if you wanted to!”

“Won’t all the football players be at the quad party?”

“Yeah, probably. But, if you wanted… we could have some drinks at my apartment, or something. Watch a movie?”

“Netflix and chill, is it?”

“No! I mean, we could do that… but! I could get dinner—with you! Together?”

“You really are always like this, aren’t you?” he laughed. He stepped closer to Shiro—too close, maybe, for his racing heart. “You want to take me on a date tomorrow?”

“Yes! Please! I do.” He cleared his throat. “If you want, I mean.”

“I don’t know any good food places around here yet, so you’ll have to give me a tour of the town.”

“Sure!”

“Do you have wine at home?”

“I’ll buy some.”

“I like white.”

“White it is.”

Lance nodded in approval. “You’re so nice! Are you sure you’re not a murderer?”

“Pretty sure, yeah.”

“Well, I suppose it might be worth it, anyway, getting to spend the evening with someone as handsome as you,” he mused. “Do you have a car?”

“Yes! I can pick you up whenever.”

“No, I mean, do you have a car right here? Now?”

“Oh, um, yeah. I drove.”

“Show me.” Lance pulled away, heading for the side gate. Shiro followed after him, pointing toward his car.

“It’s cute,” he said. “Can you open it?”

“Um… yeah,” he said, fumbling for his keys in his pocket. He accidentally hit the “lock” button, causing it to honk loudly.

“Yo! Shiro!” someone yelled from the porch.

He corrected his mistake, opening the door for Lance to slip in. He turned his attention toward his teammate who was waving at him.

“Hey! What’s up?”

“Nothing! Is that a freshman?” he pointed toward the car. Shiro was very aware of what it looked like they were up to—part of him hoped they _were_ up to that—and he held up his hands in defense.

“It’s not what you think!” he said, though he actually wasn’t sure if it was.

“Dude, it’s all good!” he laughed. Shiro wasn’t exactly out to the team, and he could never tell if it was smart or necessary to ever even come out to them. Sure, they were all friends, but they were so focused on their sport, not on each other’s personal lives. “The guys will be glad that they don’t have to compete with you!”

“Oh, um, sure!”

He turned toward the open front door. “Guys! Shiro got a freshman!” Shiro could hear the cheering from his car.

Embarrassed, he jogged to the other side of his car, slipping into the front seat.

“Sorry about that,” he said, turning to Lance. “They’re not as creepy as they sound, I swear—“

Lance cut him off by pressing their lips together. Shiro froze. As he moved to finally reciprocate, Lance pulled away.

He smiled, seemingly unworried that Shiro hadn’t kissed him back—Shiro supposed Lance was perfectly aware that Shiro was caught under his spell.

“What was that for?” Shiro asked, breathless.

“You’re cute,” he replied. He brought his hands up to rest them on Shiro’s cheeks. Shiro only hesitated a second before he covered his hands with his own.

“You’re gorgeous.”

Lance laughed. “I don’t usually kiss till the third date, and since we’ve got our first one tomorrow, who knows how long it’ll be till the third. Thought I’d steal a few kisses before then, you know?”

“That’s sound logic,” Shiro said. “What are you doing Sunday?”

“Coran wanted to get brunch with Allura and me.”

“Can I take you to dinner after?”

He chuckled. “So soon after the first date?”

He nodded.

“Alright, sure.”

“And what are you doing Monday?”

“Well, it’s the first day of class, of course.”

“Let’s go to a movie on Monday. I have practice till 6, but after?”

He smiled. “I guess I can clear my calendar. Well, that’s three dates, then.”

“And you’ll kiss me after?”

He shrugged. “Depends on if I like you well enough.”

Pressing forward, Shiro connected their lips. Lance smiled into the kiss, moving his mouth against Shiro’s with the confidence of someone who knew what they were doing. Shiro hadn’t had much luck in terms of dating, or even hooking up. He’d long been advised to remain closeted, given his relative fame, and people often weren’t interested in being kept a secret. Still, he was able to keep up with Lance well enough, he thought, or maybe Lance was just a good teacher, using his lips or hands to direct Shiro’s movements.

Lance deepened the kiss by biting Shiro’s bottom lip, slipping his tongue into the mix when Shiro opened his mouth to groan. One hand played with the hair at Shiro’s nape while the other roamed over his chest.

Pulling away, Lance placed a single chaste kiss against Shiro’s neck.

“You know,” he began.

“Huh?”

“After the third date, I’m not sure if I’ll kiss you.”

Shiro pouted. “What do you mean?”

“I mean,” he nipped at Shiro’s neck. “I’ll want to do a lot more than just kissing. Would you like that?”

Nodding, Shiro gasped at a particular harsh bite. “Yes!”

Lance nuzzled over the reddening spot, kissing it several times. “That’s a good boy,” he purred. Shiro shivered at the drop in pitch as well as the words. Lance was simply intoxicating, and it wasn’t just the liquor on his tongue. “What would you like to do after our date, Shiro?”

Another nip, at the same time Lance’s hand fell onto Shiro’s lap. “Fuck…” Shiro grunted, bucking up instinctively. He supposed it wasn’t surprising that he’d gotten so affected so quickly, and he was too turned on to be embarrassed to be sporting a semi after only a few minutes of kissing.

“That’s not very specific,” Lance whispered against his ear. “You’ll have to tell me exactly what you want so I can help you.” His palm pressed against Shiro’s straining cock.

“Oh, god,” he whined. “Shit, Lance…”

His laugh against Shiro’s ear tickled. “Yes?”

“God, I want you,” his hands finally made an appearance and gripped at Lance’s waist. “I want to fuck you,” he growled.

Lance was seated on his lap in a second, grinding down and providing delicious friction for both of them. They exchanged sloppy kisses, panting while they rutted against each other. Shiro ran his hands over Lance’s sides, his back, finally settling on his ass and squeezing. Lance moaned, and Shiro swallowed the noise with glee.

They were too invested in each other to notice the passenger door open.

“Shiro,” Keith whined. “I’m bored. Wait—what the fuck?!”

Lance jolted back, butt bumping the horn. The loud noise was enough to break Shiro out of his Lance-induced trance, and he gaped at his brother.

“Keith!” Shiro balked. “I can explain!”

Keith glared. “Explain why you’re making out with my roommate?”

“Huh?”

“Oh, cool your jets, mullet!” Lance returned the glare. “You’re just jealous that I got me a hot beefcake on my first night of college!”

“Jealous?” he scoffed. “He’s my brother!”

Lance looked down at Shiro, though he tried to hide his face against Lance’s chest. “Brother?”

“Yeah, brother and asshole who was supposed to be my DD!”

“I’m still sober!” he insisted.

“You’d make out with this clown while sober?” he gestured toward Lance.

“Excuse you! I’m a catch!” Lance said. “I mean, Shiro here seemed to like me, especially when—“

“I don’t want to hear it!” Keith yelled, covering his ears with his hands. “Ugh, I just want to go home!”

Lance pouted. “What a buzzkill, huh?”

“Sorry,” Shiro said. “Okay, Keith, get in the back. I can take you both back to your room.”

“Why would we give him a ride?” Keith said. “And, I should get shotgun.”

“If Shiro ever wants me to take him for a ride, I get shotgun!” Lance insisted.

Minutes later, with Lance in the front and Keith brooding in the back, they headed toward campus.

Shiro cleared his throat. “So, Keith. Did you have fun?”

“Yeah. Matt and Allura came and introduced themselves. Matt’s sister threw up, I think, so they went to take care of her. But, I met her roommate—he was cool. Hunk, or something.”

“Hey, I know him!” Lance said. “He was my best friend in middle school—he studied in Cuba for a couple years before moving back to the US. When I saw him at the tour earlier today I freaked out!” He turned to glare back at Keith. “Try not to be a total asshole to him, he’s a ray of sunshine. Too good for this world!”

“Like I could ever! We bonded. We totally crushed some of your teammates at beer pong, Shiro,” Keith grinned. “Got invited back for the next tournament.”

“For your sake, Keith, I’d back out. I’m in prime beer pong shape and fully intend to defend my title—blood relations be dammed.”

Lance laughed, setting his hand over Shiro’s. “Cutthroat, huh? I like it.”

Shiro flushed, turning his hand over so they could more easily tangle their fingers together. “I may not have been recruited for beer pong, but I’m very serious about it.”

Leaning across the center console, Lance placed his mouth near Shiro’s ear. “Maybe if you win you’ll get a nice reward from me. Would you like that?”

Shiro coughed, while Keith groaned. A second later, Lance was back in his seat, laughing. How he could switch so quickly between being sexy and endearing was beyond Shiro.

“I’m transferring schools,” Keith announced. “Shiro you’re banned from my room. Lance, you’re on thin ice.”

“Oh, that’s fine if you kick me out. Shiro already invited me to his apartment, isn’t that right?” he smirked at Keith.

“Shiro is a weak man,” Keith hissed. “I’m quite disappointed in him.”

“Don’t be such a wet blanket, Keith!” Lance laughed. “You’ll find someone soon, I’m sure. It’s our first year of college! Plenty of time for us to wingman each other.”

Shiro raised a brow. “’Each other’?”

Lance traced over his palm idly. “Well, how can I know you won’t drop me after our third date, hm?” he pouted at Shiro. “I’m just a freshman, after all, and you’re a cool, popular football player. I know how these things tend to work out.”

They rolled to a stop at a red light. Knowing he had some time, Shiro shifted the car to park. He grabbed Lance by the back of his neck and pulled him forward, kissing him roughly.

It was probably a bit clumsy, and much to his chagrin he was pretty sure Keith had recorded part of it, but when he felt Lance smile, he knew it was worth it.

He pulled away with a wet pop; Lance giggled.

“You won’t get rid of me that easily,” Shiro whispered against his lips.

“Light’s green,” Keith said.

“Possessive, are we?” Lance mused.

“Maybe.”

“That’s alright. I like it,” his eyes twinkled. Shiro kissed him once more for good measure.

“Shiro can you fucking drive?”

A car behind them honked, and Shiro pulled back. He put his car back in gear and took off, though not before taking Lance’s left hand back in his. Lance flashed the car behind them the bird, laughing when they honked again at the rude gesture.

The rest of the car ride was quiet, as Keith had fallen into a light sleep. Shiro pulled up to the front of their dorm, and Keith woke suddenly. With a quickly muttered “thanks”, he fled the scene, surely not wanting to see any more of the couple.

“Well, that was a lot of fun,” Lance said. “Definitely not what I expected would happen.”

“Yeah, I thought I’d just spend the night holding back Keith’s hair as he puked,” he laughed.

“Here, give me your phone.” Shiro obliged, and Lance plugged in his number.

“If you still want,” he began. “I’d be happy to spend tomorrow with you.”

Shiro pulled him close for a soft kiss. Lance almost seemed nervous, as if he’d exuded all his confidence since they’d met.

“I do want it. I want you. All of you—not just, um, post-third-date stuff.”

Lance laughed. “God, I really like you. Is that weird? We just met.”

“I don’t think so. Because I like you too.”

“A regular, old cheeseball!”

“Hey! I’m not old!”

“A whole year above me,” Lance sighed. “Robbing the cradle for my sake!”

“You’re a dork.”

“Your dork,” he chuckled. “Er, I mean, I know we’re not dating or anything! Sorry, that was weird of me to say. I think I’m sobering up a bit.”

“My dork,” Shiro repeated, kissing him again. “I like the sound of that.”

“Oh, gee…” Lance giggled. He opened the door and nearly tripped on his way out. “I’ll, uh, I’ll see you tomorrow, alright?”

“Sure thing. I’ll text you.”

Lance reached out, giving Shiro’s hand one last squeeze. He stepped away and shut the door, then waved goodbye as Shiro drove away.

Tomorrow couldn’t come soon enough, they both thought.


End file.
